Saving Thanehaven Read Online Free Page A

which the fortress is built. This river is much too deep and tumultuous to ford. “We’ll never get a boat across there,” he announces, edging toward the sheer drop above the churning rapids. Rufus stares at him.
    “A boat?” Rufus echoes. “Who said anything about a boat?”
    Noble frowns. The drawbridge is up, and there’s no one on the opposite bank to catch a rope. So he can’t see any alternative to rowing.
    Unless they swim, or fly.
    “We can’t ride on gargoyles,” he points out. “Not until we unchain them.”
    Rufus grins. “Are you kidding me?” he retorts. “I wouldn’t let you sit on a gargoyle, you’d break its back! You’re
enormous
!”
    “Then how are we going to get in?” Standing on snow-white cobbles at the edge of a precipice makes Noble feel very exposed. He doesn’t like it. He wants to move. “Is there a rear entrance?”
    “I don’t know.” Rufus turns to the nearest gargoyle. “Is there a rear entrance?”
    The gargoyle nods. “Through the Labyrinth of Lost Hope,” it answers.
    Rufus laughs. “That would be for door-to-door salesmen,” he says. “I think we should avoid that one.”
    “Then what are we going to do?” Noble demands. He can’t understand why Rufus finds their situation so funny. At any moment, someone might open fire on them from the battlements. “We can’t swim. We can’t fly. We’d be mad to launch a boat and mad to enter the labyrinth.”
    “Seems simple enough to me,” Rufus interrupts. “We’ll use the drawbridge.” Then he raises his voice to shout across the churning watercourse. “Hey! Hello! Is anyone home?” he bellows. “We’ve come to visit Lord Harrowmage!”

CHAPTER THREE
    T here’s no response. Silence reigns.
    “I’m here to do a survey!” Rufus yells. “I have some questions to ask the householder! I come in peace!”
    Still no one replies. After a brief pause, Noble raises his empty hands and clears his throat. “I am unarmed and unshod!” he booms. “I wish to negotiate a truce in good faith and without bias! Not a soul will suffer
any harm
if I am admitted into the presence of Lord Harrowmage!”
    “Nice one,” Rufus says, grinning. At that very instant, a mighty gust of wind slams into them both. It’s come out of nowhere—without warning—pushing them backward as it becomes a minitornado, sucking up a whole column of fluid from the river and sprouting half a dozen watery arms.
    Noble retreats a step, because he has no weapon. All he can do is run. But he doesn’t get a chance to do so before the column suddenly collapses.
    A huge mass of liquid hits the surface of the river.
Crash!
Bloodred geysers shower the landscape in every direction. Noble is spattered with goo. So are the gargoyles at the end of the road. So are the white cobblestones and the leafless treetops and the giant yellow teeth.
    Only Rufus emerges unscathed. His jaw drops as the wind and water slowly subside.
    “Jeez!” he squawks. “What was
that
all about?”
    “It was a trick,” Noble informs him. “Doubtless, Lord Harrowmage wished to see if I would fight back.”
    Rufus blinks. “Oh. Right,” he mutters. After a moment’s reflection, he adds, “Good call. You’re not just a pretty face, are you?”
    A sudden clanking sound makes them jump.
Kuh-chang! Kuh-chang! Kuh-chang!
“Watch out!” Noble barks. Two great iron chains are attached to the drawbridge, and as they grow longer, the drawbridge descends, gathering speed. The clanking becomes a whirring noise, then a whizzing noise, then … 
POW!
    One chain snaps.
    Noble ducks to avoid its broken end, which lashes overhead like a whip. The lip of the drawbridge hits the road with such force that the ground shudders. Chips of cobblestone fly everywhere. A gargoyle yelps. Dust settles.
    Rufus observes, “That was probably my fault.”
    Noble straightens. He glares at Rufus in disbelief. “How could that possibly have been your fault?”
    With a shrug, Rufus tries to